Bigger Fish
by The Romulan Republic
Summary: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel one-shot.


Another old one-shot I'm importing from SDN, this one from a franchise that is near and dear to my heart. This is my first posted Buffy story, though I expect their will be more to follow.

The title is a _Phantom Menace_ reference, I guess, but it works.

 _ **Bigger Fish.**_

I starred in frozen incomprehension at the thing advancing toward me, its hideous face twisted, its eyes glowing yellow. My mind offered frantic explanations and rationalizations-he's disfigured, its a trick of the light, I must be high, I must be going mad-but I knew in my soul that this was real- horribly, impossibly real. Around me, I could hear the screams and moans of my friends and classmates from the college, along with low growls and... other sounds. The _thing_ opened its mouth in an ugly leer, revealing pointed teeth.

"Well, aren't you just the prettiest little thing? I could go for a tasty morsel right now-"

There was a flicker of movement behind it, and the _thing_ gasped as something protruded suddenly from its chest. It starred up, its face a mask of horror reflecting my own, and then I swear to God, it collapsed with a roar, dissolving into a swirling cloud of black dust.

Through the dust strode a short, slender figure, a girl who looked not much older than twenty, but she seemed taller somehow, larger than life, as cliché as that sounds. Her blond hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and she looked like she might have been a cheerleader or something, but her face was hard and she held a wooden stake in her hand like a dagger. She met my eyes for a moment.

"You hurt?"

I don't remember answering, but she seemed satisfied that I was fine.

"Then run."

Before I could answer or do as she said, even if I'd been capable of moving just then, another shape sprang out of the darkness. It was a hulking monster, dressed in black leather and metal plates, and though I couldn't seem much in the dark, its face looked like a mass of bony protrusions and scales. I was frozen, too terrified to speak or shout a warning, but the blond sensed it coming. With impossible speed and grace, she slipped under the sweep of its sword-a freaking _broadsword_ -then spun and swept its legs out from under it. She brought her stake stabbing down towards its face, but it caught her wrist and with an effort, flipped her over its head. It bounced back to its feet, faster than should have been possible for something so bulky, and sprang after her, and I starred in horror as it raised its sword for the kill-

Hands wrapped around its neck and grasped the sides of its head, then twisted violently. There was a terrible crack, and it collapsed limply to the sand. Its killer stepped over it with barely a glance at it or the blond, and I saw in the flickering fire that her skin and hair appeared tinted blue.

"Thanks Illyria", I heard the blond mutter as she got to her feet.

The blue woman continued down the beach, toward a clump of struggling men and women.

"Your gratitude is unnecessary Buffy. This fight pleases me, and the Gurlak's head will make a fine trophy." I watched as the blue woman tore into a pack of the yellow-eyed creatures, five clouds of dust in as many seconds.

The water of the lake began to boil, and the people, and things, closest to the shore began to scatter, running for higher ground. The blue woman assumed a fighting stance, facing the churning waters. Then suddenly something, long and slender like a giant whip, snapped out of the lake and wrapped itself around her waste, dragging her towards the water. She clawed at the tentacle, leaving deep cashes in it, and a high-pitched scream echoed over the beach. It grated on my nerves, on my soul, and I cried out, shutting my eyes and covering my ears as that unearthly noise tore at my mind.

The noise cut off abruptly as a flash of light lit up the night, bright enough to hurt my eyes even through my closed eyelids. A boom echoed over the beach, and then everything went very quiet. I lay gasping for a few moments, before my curiosity outweighed my fear and I opened my eyes.

The beach was deserted, except for the bodies, and a small cluster of people standing between me and the lake's edge. A tall dyed-blond man in a black leather coat was helping blue girl to her feet, though she quickly shrugged off his assistance. The blond was looking up, and I followed her gaze to see a small red-haired woman float down like a leaf on the wind and land gently on the beach.

"What was that, Will", I heard the blond ask. Will, I thought randomly... isn't that a boy's name?

"I'm not sure, but I _think_ that was Glothoraung the Devourer, Drowner of Souls."

"Guess he wasn't counting on the world's greatest witch."

"What can I say", the red-head smiled. "There's always a bigger fish."


End file.
